Weatherstripping



J. H. MEARS, JR

WEATHERSTRIPPING Filed June 20, 1955 F l 6.

Nov. 8, 1955 INVENTOR JOHN H. "EARS JR.

FIG. 3.

Z Mm W ATTORNEYS I States Patent Qfiice 2,722,723 Patented Nov. 8, 1955 Original application April 17, 1951, Serial No. 221,507. gligideg and this application June 20, 1955, Serial No.

Claims. (Cl. 2052.4)

The present invention relates in general to weatherstrips, and more particularly to Weatherstrip means for positioning'sash members in a window casing and for facilitating movement of the sash with'respect to the casing.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 221,507, filed April 17, 1951, now abandoned. 4

An object of the present invention is the provision of novel Weatherstrip means for obtaining a substantially weather-tight connection between the window casing and sash slidably mounted therein and for counterbalancing the sash to assist in positioning the sash in various positions of adjustment with respect to the casing.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of novel resilient Weatherstrip means engaging the casing and sash with a yielding pressure to produce a cushioning eflect laterally of the sash in a manner to prevent rattling and binding of the sash within the easing, to accommodate for expansion and contraction of the sash and casing, and to assist in positioning the sash in various opsitions of adjustment relative to the casing.

Another object of thep'resent invention is the provision of a Weatherstrip construction for window casings having sliding sash including readily detachable resilient .counterbalancing means acting to hold the sash in various positions of adjustment and concealing housing members removably supported on a Weatherstrip to facilitate removal of the resilient means for purposes of repair or replacement.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a Weatherstrip construction for window casings having sliding sash wherein resilient counterbalancing means are provided which are readily adjustable to counterbalance sash of the various standard widths with a single pair of counterbalance springs.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detail description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing showing one preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing: 7

Figure 1 is aperspective view of the preferred form of the invention in operative position in a window casing;

Figure 2 is a vertical section view thereof taken along the line22 of Figure 1; and v Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section view thereof taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures, the vertically extending Weatherstrip embodying the present invention, indicated as a whole by the reference character 30, is designed to be mounted by nails, screws or other conventional securing means, on the jamb or pulley stile 13 of a'window casing or frame, indicated as a whole as 14. The window casing is of conventional construction and includes an outer sash stop 16 on one side of the opening frame 14 and a sill 17. Inner and outer sash members 18 and 19, respectively, are slidably mounted in the frame 14.

The Weatherstrip 30 is floatingly secured along one edge at vertically spaced points to the jamb 13 by nails or screws 31. The vertically extending grooves 32 are formed in the edges of the sash members 18 and 19 for a purpose which will become apparent.

The Weatherstrip 30 comprises a channel-shaped por-' tion 33 having apertures through which the screws 31 pass to floatingly secure the vertically extending weatherstrip 30 along this single point of its width. One leg of the channel 33 extends to the inner side of the sash 18 and is bent outwardly therealong to the jam 13 and then flanged to be gently curved crown-inwardly to the corner of the sash 18 adjacent the sash 19 and along the face of the sash 18 to form a track 34 therefor, the sash being spaced from the jamb 13 as shown. The weatherstrip 30 is then bent at right angles to the face of the sash 19 and outwardly to its corner nearest the sash 18 to form the parting bead 35. The Weatherstrip 30 is then flanged so as to be gently curved crown-inwardly outwardly to the corner formed by the jamb 13 and the blind stop 16 and then sharply inwardly along the exterior face of the sash 19 to form-the track 36 therefor.

As clearly illustrated in Figures 11 and 13 of the drawing, the curvature imparted to the portions of the tracks 34 and .36 adapted to engage the edges of the sash members 18 and 19, whereby the parting stop portion 35 is spaced inwardly from the jamb or pulley stile 13, renders the Weatherstrip 30 normally of substantially bow-like form in cross section so that when the same is secured in position along the jamb 13, and the sash members 18 and 19 are positioned in the casing 14, the inclined track portions 34 and 36 of the Weatherstrip are under spring tension in a manner to exert a pressure against the edge portions of the sash members 18 and 19 for providing a weather-tight connection between the casing and sash and to exert a yielding pressure against these edges of the sash members 18 and 19 to tend to frictionally hold the same at various positions of vertical adjustment within the casing. The Weatherstrip 30 is also free to yield with lateral movement of the sash members in a manner to prevent rattling or binding of the sash members within the casing.

The sashes 18 and 19 are vertically suspended in the tracks 34 and 36, respectively by means of pairs of counterbalance springs 38, the lower ends of which extend through the grooves 32 in the edges of the sash members to a point adjacent the lower edges of the sash members and are fixed to the sash members adjacent the lower sash edges. Each of the upper ends of the counterbalance springs 38 which freely flex in the sash grooves 32 is fastened to a clip or tongue 39 which is struck out from the face of each track 34, 36. The spring connected to the upper or outer sash 19 is, of course, of shorter length than that connected to the lower .or inner sash 18. The counterbalance springs 38 are so selected that the sash members 18 and 19 are nicely balanced in the tracks provided therefor and when in their lowermost position are under moderate spring tension. The tension of the springs 38 may be adjusted as necessary by selecting appropriate ones of the vertically arranged series formed in the faces of the tracks 34 and 36.

By providing, the vertically spaced series of strikeout clips or tongues 39, 39' along the faces of the tracks 34 and 36, the position of the upper end of each counterbalance spring 38 may be determined by striking out the appropriate spring clip orltongue 39, 39 and securing the upper end of the counterbalance spring 38to achieve the desired counterbalancing spring tension to compensate for various weights of sash. The weights of the sash, of

course, will be determined primarily by the vertical" and/or transverse dimensions of the sash.

The edge of the track 34 and the Weatherstrip channel 33 form a stop for the inner sash 18. However, the thickness of the several types of walls varies in building con struction. In order to accommodate for the various thicknesses, the outer stop of the Weatherstrip 30 is provided with a'slidably adjustable L-shaped plate 42 having vertically spaced laterally extending slots 43 to accommodate the screws 31. By this construction, the plate 42 may be extended laterally to the necessary degree to accommodate the Weatherstrip to various wall thicknesses.

The floating Weatherstrip assembly 30, including .the springs 38, one of which is mounted in each track 34, 36 at each side of the casing 14, resiliently holds the sash members 18 and 19 in any position, raised or lowered, due to the action of the springs 38 counterbalancing the weight of the sash members. Moreover, the close contact of the Weatherstrip 30 with the edges and faces of the sash members due to the bowed nature of the tracks 34 and 36 acting against the sash edges, forms an effective air seal and expansion and contraction are automatically accommodated. An elongated housing 70 of sheet metal or the like having a U-shaped cross section is removably mounted over each of the springs 38 in the upper half of each of the tracks 34 and 36 by means of projecting tongues 72 which are received in slots 74 formed in each web portion of the channel-shaped tracks 34, 36. The legs of the housing channel 70 are sprung toward each other for the insertion of the tongues 72 into the slots '74 so that the housing is resiliently maintained in its position concealing the upper ends of the springs 38, but may be readily detached from the Weatherstrip.

It will thus be apparent that in addition .to the sashholding and air scaling functions of the Weatherstrip 30, this form of the invention ,provides .a better appearance thereof and protection for the sash suspending springs 38 without interference with their function, and form guide rails, improving the sliding action .of the sash member and relieving any interference with sliding :action which might otherwise occur with exposed counterbalance springs.

While only one preferred embodiment of the invention has been particularly shown and described, it is ap parent that other modifications .may be made in the in vention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are .imposed by the prior art and are set forth in the appended cliams.

I claim:

1. A Weatherstrip and sash balance for the sliding sashes of window casings including opposed jamhs comprising an elongated body including a sash stop at a lateral edge, means for anchoring said stop to a jarnb of the casing, a pair of sash-receiving tracks formed .in said body, a parting bead formed in said body and connecting said tracks, the track remote from said stop being inwardly flanged to form a second sash stop, grooves formed in the edges of the sashes, an elongated spring member connected at the lower end thereof to a sash disposed in each of said tracks and adapted to track in said grooves, a plurality of vertically spaced means struck in the surfaces of each of said tracks forsupporting the upper ends of said spring members, said spring members each being supported at .the upper end thereof -on one of said vertically spaced means struck in-said tracks, said vertically spaced means in each of said tracks being spaced to ad just the tension of said spring members to counterbalance difierent preselected weights of sashes, means forming a part of said body for urging it against the edges of the sashes to form an air-tight seal dhcrewith and hold the sashes in their adjusted position, and .means mounted on the face of said tracks for enclosing said spring member throughout the upper half of said elongated body.

2. In a window-structure, the combination within window casing and a pair of sash members slidably mounted in said casing and having grooves extending substantially the height thereof in their lateral edges, of an elongated Weatherstrip body of resilient sheet metal, means for marginally securing said Weatherstrip body to a jamb of the casing, a pair of laterally spaced channels in said body opening inwardly of saidcasing and forming sashreceiving tracks, .an integral parting bead formed in said body and connecting said track-forming channels, elon' gated counterbalance spring members connected at their lower ends to each of said sash members and adapted to track in the grooves thereof, a plurality of vertically spaced integral tongue members struck in the webs of each of said channels and bendable therefrom to form supports for the upper ends of said spring members, said spring members each being supported at the upper end thereof on one of said vertically spaced tongues, said tongue members in each of said webs being spaced to adjust the tension of said spring members to counterbalance ditferent preselected weights of sash members, and the webs of each pair of said channels being bowed outwardly adjacent said parting bead from the adjacent surface of their associated jamb to resiliently urge said webs into frictional engagement with the edges of said sash members and form an air-tight seal therewith.

3. In a window structure, the combination with a window casing and a pair of sash members slidably mounted in said casing and having grooves extending substantially the height thereof in their lateral edges, of an elongated Weatherstrip body of resilient sheet metal, means for marginally securing said Weatherstrip body to a jamb of the casing, a pair of laterally spaced channels in said body opening inwardly of said casing and forming sash-receiving tracks, an integral parting bead formed in said body and connecting said track-forming channels, elongated counterbalance spring members connected at their lower ends to each of said sash members and adapted to track in the grooves thereof, a plurality of vertically spaced integral tongue members struck in the webs of each of said channels and bendable therefrom to form supports for the upper ends of said spring members, said spring members each being supported at the upper end thereof on one of said vertically spaced tongues, the webs of each pair of said channels being bowed outwardly adjacent said parting bead from the adjacent surface of their associated jarnb to resiliently urge said webs into frictional engagement with the edges of said sash members and form an air-tight seal therewith, U-shaped sheet metal housing channels for encasing said counterbalance spring members throughout at least the upper half of each of said channels, said housing channels having oppositely projecting marginal tongues extending from the legs thereof, and the webs of each of said tracks having laterally spaced slots-extending therethrough for receiving said tongues when the legs of .said housing channels are sprung toward each other andremovably frictionally support said housing channels in sprung condition on said webs in encasing relation to said counterbalance spring members.

4. In a window structure, the combination with a window casing and a pair of sash members slidably mounted in said casing and having grooves extending substantially the height thereof in their lateral edges, of an elongated Weatherstrip body .ofresilient sheetmetal, means for marginally securing said Weatherstrip body to a jamb of the casing, a pair of laterally spaced channels in said body opening inwardly .of said casing and forming sash-receivingtracks, an integral parting bead formed in said body and connecting said track-forming channels, elongated counterbalance spring members connected at their lower ends to each of said sash members and adapted to track in the grooves thereof, a plurality .of vertically spaced integral tongue members struck in the webs of each of said channels and bendable therefrom to form supports for the upper ends of iSaid spring members, said spring members each being supported at the upper end thereof on one of said vertically spaced tongues, said tongue members in each of said webs being spaced to adjust the tension of said spring members to counterbalance different preselected weights of sash members, the webs of each pair of said channels being bowed outwardly adjacent said parting bead from the adjacent surface of their associated jamb to resiliently urge said webs against the edges of said sash members to form an air-tight seal therewith and exerting frictional restraining force against the edges of the sash members at their positions of vertical adjustment, U-shaped sheet metal housing channels for encasing said counterbalance spring members throughout at least the upper half of each of said channels, said housing channels having oppositely projecting marginal tongues extending from the legs thereof, and the webs of each of said tracks having laterally spaced slots extending therethrough for receiving said tongues when the legs of said housing channels are sprung toward each other and removably frictionally support said housing channels in sprung condition on said webs in encasing relation to said counterbalance spring members.

5. In a window construction, the combination with a window casing and a pair of sash members slidably mounted in said casing and having grooves extending substantially the height thereof in their lateral edges, of an elongated Weatherstrip body of resilient sheet metal,

means for securing said Weatherstrip body to a jamb of the casing, a pair of laterally spaced channels in said body opening inwardly of said casing and forming sashl'eceiving tracks, an integral parting bead formed in said body and connecting said track-forming channels, elongated counterbalance spring members connected at their lower ends to each of said sash members and adapted to track in the grooves thereof, a plurality of vertically spaced means struck in the webs of each of said channels for supporting the upper ends of said spring members, said spring members each being supported at the upper ends thereof on one of said vertically spaced means, said vertically spaced means in each of said webs being spaced to adjust the tension of said spring members to counterbalance diiferent preselected Weights of sash members, and the webs of each pair of said channels being bowed outwardly adjacent said parting bead from the adjacent surface of their associated jamb to resiliently urge said webs against the edges of said sash members to form an air-tight seal therewith and exert a frictional restraining pressure on said sash members.

Kreuscher Mar. 28, 1939 Gossen Sept. 23, 1941 

